Hi. I was going to buy a Lightsphere but then I asked Marc Byram (google his blog - he has previously recommended this product) and he recommended the newer Gary Fong Whale Tail. There are videos of it on YouTube, including one that compares the Whale Tail and the Lightsphere. Anyway, I bought one and have used it very successfully for weddings with a 5D Mark II and 550EX Speedlite - see here for an example: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLPkozoZgNI[/youtube]
It looks quite odd in use, but you can be assured that you'll be the only one at an event using one!!
John

Hi. I was going to buy a Lightsphere but then I asked Marc Byram (google his blog - he has previously recommended this product) and he recommended the newer Gary Fong Whale Tail. There are videos of it on YouTube, including one that compares the Whale Tail and the Lightsphere. Anyway, I bought one and have used it very successfully for weddings with a 5D Mark II and 550EX Speedlite - see here for an example:

It looks quite odd in use, but you can be assured that you'll be the only one at an event using one!!

I had a LightSphere for my Canon 580EX (sold it with the flash when I got rid of my Canon gear). It thought it was extremely good, especially in situations where bounce flash is out of the question, e.g. high-ceilinged churches etc.
But it did seem way overpriced.

I had a LightSphere for my Canon 580EX (sold it with the flash when I got rid of my Canon gear). It thought it was extremely good, especially in situations where bounce flash is out of the question, e.g. high-ceilinged churches etc.

I should have added that the nice thing about the whale tail is that the flash source is always [u]above[/u] the lens axis, regardless of whether you shoot in landscape or portrait mode. That's something you [u]don't[/u] get with the standard lightsphere.

I should have added that the nice thing about the whale tail is that the flash source is always above the lens axis, regardless of whether you shoot in landscape or portrait mode. That's something you don't get with the standard lightsphere.